On a run of four wins in five matches, Washington Nationals will visit Miami Marlins on Friday night to start a weekend series.
Washington has won two straight series and took two of three each from Arizona Diamondbacks and the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
It has been a welcome development for citizens, which started the season 1-6.
“Baseball is a strange sport,” said citizens left Fielder James Wood, who met three home purchases against Dodgers, including two in a victory on Tuesday. “There are ups and downs.
“I feel we were in all the games we lost. I think we knew we were close (to win). There were just a few games here and there.”
Citizens will try to keep the good times rolling on Friday, when the left hand Mitchell Parker (2-0, 0.73 era) will take Haugen.
Parker, a 25-year-old who is in his second major league season, has a good start 2025-with exception for his walk. His walks per nine rounds have risen from 2.6 last year to 4.4 in his two starts.
On the positive side, parks get lots of outs with their evil breaking things, including a curve and a splitter.
In three career starts against Miami, parks are 1-0 with a 1.10 era.
Marlins are expected to start the right hand Cal Quantrill (0-0, 6.00 era), which would turn on five days of rest.
In his last start on Saturday, he beat five speechless innings in a 4-0 victory over values Atlanta Braves.
Quantrill is 0-1 with a 4.24 era in three career starts against Washington.
Offensively, Miami is led by the first bass man Matt Mervis and Catcher Nick Fortes.
Mervi tops the squad in Homers (three) and ops (.899). New in Marlins this season after two years with Chicago Cubs is his career OPS .565 in 45 games.
Fortes is second in the team in OPS (.833). Forte’s career op is .624, which is known more for its defense, is .624.
After losing four of its previous five matches, Marlins comes from a 5-0 victory over the New York Mets host on Wednesday afternoon. It stopped New York’s winning line with six matches.
Like citizens, Marlins are on a feisty start, including taking three out of four matches from Pittsburgh Pirates in their season opening series.
Marlins have made some spectacular defensive gigs, especially by their midfielders in the last two games in the Mets series.
On Tuesday in Mets ’10 -5 victory, Marlins’ Derek Hill competed back 110 feet to do a diving, back-hand stick to rob Tyrone Taylor of what would probably have been a three-run extra base here.
“It was one of the best catches I’ve ever seen,” said Marlin’s Clayton McCullough.
On Wednesday it was Dane Myer’s turn when he ran back 81 feet to take a shot from Pete Alonso. After doing the catch, Hill ran his face first into the wall.
“Driving full speed and total breach of your body,” McCullough said of Myer’s catch. “It was a good game.”
-Field level media
